If you’ve ever wondered why your neighbor’s yard is filled with bird feeders, pollinator plants, and “messy” flowerbeds, while another neighbor keeps a perfect green lawn trimmed like a carpet, you’re brushing up against a deeper idea: backyard biophilia.
So what is biophilia? Biophilia is an attraction to life and living things. While earlier thinkers suggested it was a universal human trait, new research suggests it actually varies from person to person. Some of us are drawn to wild gardens full of buzzing bees and tangled greenery. Others prefer neat lines, trimmed hedges, and a tidy plot of grass.
To study this difference, researchers created the Backyard Biophilia (BB) scale, a short survey designed to measure people’s attraction to biodiversity in their own gardens. Over 2,000 people took part, and the results were fascinating. The project team included Lorrie Schmid (Lead of Data Management and Analysis for Applied Research, Evaluation, and Engagement at Duke University’s Social Science Research Institute), who helped guide the research and analysis.
The study found two main patterns:
- Gardening for Wildlife: people who love wild, biodiverse gardens where birds, insects, and native plants thrive.
- Lawn and Order: those who lean toward manicured lawns and orderly landscaping.
Most of us fall somewhere between these two extremes, but the variation itself is important since it shows that biophilia is not the same for everyone.
The researchers did find some surprising patterns in their survey responses:
- Income: Lower-income participants scored higher on the Backyard Biophilia scale, meaning they felt a stronger attraction to biodiversity than wealthier participants.
- Gender: Women, on average, showed greater attraction to backyard biodiversity than men.
- Race: White participants scored higher than Black or Asian participants, suggesting cultural and historical factors also shape preferences.
The study also looked at biophobia, which is a fear of certain living things like snakes, spiders, or insects. People with higher Backyard Biophilia scores reported fewer fears and were more comfortable living alongside everyday wildlife. And it doesn’t stop at feelings. People who scored high on the BB scale were also more likely to report eco-friendly behaviors such as avoiding pesticides, reducing plastic use, and conserving energy.
Urban gardens cover enormous areas of land, far more than many protected parks combined. They can provide critical habitat for pollinators, birds, and even endangered species. But whether these gardens become safe havens for biodiversity depends on how people choose to plant and care for them. That’s why understanding who is most attracted to backyard biodiversity matters. It helps conservationists and community leaders design programs that resonate with the people most likely to embrace them.
If you find joy in planting milkweed for monarchs, letting your wildflowers reseed themselves, or watching the birds and butterflies visit, you’re probably high on the Backyard Biophilia scale. Your garden is more than just pretty, it’s part of a larger network of habitats that supports life. And if you’re more of a “Lawn and Order” gardener? That’s okay too. But research like this reminds us that a little messiness in the yard (a corner for wildflowers, a patch of native grasses, a shrub for nesting birds) can go a long way in supporting biodiversity right outside our doors.